


How Beginnings May Lie

by preciousarthur



Category: Merlin (TV)
Genre: Alternate Universe - Modern Setting, F/F, Fluff, Friends to Lovers, M/M, POV Outsider, Sharing a Bed, flatmates AU
Language: English
Status: Completed
Published: 2015-08-09
Updated: 2015-08-09
Packaged: 2018-04-13 18:31:48
Rating: General Audiences
Warnings: No Archive Warnings Apply
Chapters: 1
Words: 1,358
Publisher: archiveofourown.org
Story URL: https://archiveofourown.org/works/4532727
Author URL: https://archiveofourown.org/users/preciousarthur/pseuds/preciousarthur
Summary: <blockquote class="userstuff">
              <p>Morgana starts to notice a change in Arthur, and suspects that Merlin might have something to do with it.</p>
            </blockquote>





	How Beginnings May Lie

**Author's Note:**

> Written for the prompt 'beginnings'.

Morgana has watched Arthur and Merlin bicker for years.

At first, she doesn't notice any change, and why should she? They still fight over which brand of juice to buy like two five year olds.

("Kerri has way too much sugar. Do you _want_ me to get fat?" Arthur says, in mock anger.

"Arthur, if you want healthy orange juice just eat a fucking orange!"

Then Merlin glares at Arthur, clutching his bottle to his chest, and Arthur fake sighs, rolls his eyes and concedes the point. It's their weekly supermarket ritual.)

-

The first time she notices that something is different, she’s in the car with Arthur, on their way to Uther’s for their monthly dinner. Even though the two of them have escaped Uther’s clutches, the man is still terrifying. So why is Arthur whistling and singing along to the radio’s crappy songs?

“What are you so happy about?” she snaps. Morgana’s nervous about seeing Uther, and Arthur’s apparent nonchalance is irritating her. She’s just started seeing a sweet girl called Gwen, and she can’t think how Uther will react.

“Nothing,” says Arthur, not meeting her eyes. She lets it go.

-

The second time she notices a change in Arthur is also the first time she suspects Merlin is somehow involved. Morgana and Arthur are walking along the waterfront when Arthur suddenly crosses the road and ducks into a small shop. Huffing in annoyance, Morgana follows him in.

“- these aniseed balls. They’re Merlin’s favourite,” Arthur’s saying excitedly when Morgana catches up. The containers have French writing on them and they’re ridiculously expensive, but Arthur doesn’t seem to care. “Personally, I hate them, but Merlin’s being talking about them for ages, apparently his mother used to buy them for him all the time when he lived in Ealdor.”

As Arthur pays for the sweets, understanding dawns on Morgana. Arthur’s _in love_. She is never going to let Arthur live this down. But then she wonders why Arthur hasn’t told her, and as she considers that, she decides to keep her mouth shut. For a while, anyway.

-

One day Morgana comes home to find the two of them curled up on the couch, with a movie playing. It has Adam Sandler in it, and it looks terrible, but the boys aren't even watching it. Curious, she closes the door quietly and steps into the living room.

They're sitting right next to each other, curled under a blanket, on a couch that fits three. A bowl of microwave popcorn sits, abandoned, on the coffee table. Arthur’s back is to Merlin, and he’s slowly kneading his shoulders.

They’re so adorable. Morgana's surprised that she hasn't noticed it before; they’re so ridiculously _obvious_.

Quietly, she puts her keys on the counter, and sneaks off to text Gwen.

-

Merlin and Arthur start spending more and more time in their shared room. In all the years Morgana's shared a flat with them, they've barely spent more than half an hour at a time in there. Excepting nights, of course.

-

It’s close to midnight, and Morgana is almost numb with cold as she hurries to the bathroom. She wishes she’d remembered to put on her slippers. As she gets closer, she sees that Merlin and Arthur's door is ajar. She knows she shouldn’t, but she can’t help it. It’s really Arthur’s fault for not telling her, she decides, and pauses next to the door.

Merlin, wrapping his arms around himself, pads towards Arthur’s bed and taps his shoulder. He’s curled tightly under a thin blanket, and even in the dim light Morgana can see him shivering. She grimaces in sympathy.

Arthur peeks out over the edge of the blanket, blinking his eyes open slowly. "It _cannot_ be morning already."

Merlin smiles down at him. "It's not, but it _is_ freezing, Arthur. The heater’s right next to my bed, and if you don't mind," he bites his lip anxiously, "I mean, you don't have to, but- "

Arthur pushes the blankets down lower, and sits up. "Merlin, are you asking me into your bed?" Arthur hums thoughtfully. "Although, you did make me dinner, so I really should have seen this coming."

Merlin blushes and shoves at him. "If you want to freeze out here, be my guest."

Arthur snickers and follows Merlin to his bed, sighing as the warmth cocoons them. “Gods Merlin, were you trying to kill me by hogging the heater?” he asks playfully. Merlin tosses a pillow at him and clambers into bed, leaving space for Arthur.

“It’s attached to the wall. It’s not like I can move it,” he says.

Morgana feels guilty for eavesdropping, but the two of them are so oblivious and endearing that she can’t make herself move.

As she watches, Arthur snakes an arm around Merlin’s waist, and he yelps as it grazes his arm. Without warning, he’s yanked back into Arthur’s chest. “Such a girl, Merlin,” mumbles Arthur, his nose pressing into the back of Merlin’s neck.

Morgana’s heart beats a little quicker. She’s clearly witnessing a very private moment. Oh well, she thinks. She’ll spare them a few extra brownies next time Gwen bakes.

Merlin twists in Arthur’s arms, turning so that he’s lying facing him. Arthur opens his eyes and watches him settle. They gaze at each other for a while, Arthur’s expression unreadable, his ocean-like blue eyes giving nothing away. 

Morgana holds a breath in anticipation.

Then Arthur drags him closer, and Merlin gasps in surprise. “Arthur,” he begins. He’s stopped by Arthur crushing his mouth to Merlin’s, and this time Morgana does look away. She backs away from the door and steps into the bathroom. She can’t stop the smile that’s blooming on her face.

-

Morgana really couldn’t have hoped for a better person for Arthur. While she and her brother fight at every possible opportunity, they each know how much the other cares, and she’s glad that there’s no more sickeningly sweet Sophia to dig her talons into Arthur, or even that horrid Vivian.

Unlike those two, Merlin brings out the better parts of Arthur, the parts which even make Morgana smile on occasion.

Gwen’s turned Morgana into such a hopeless romantic that Morgana honestly wants to go and bleach her soul. But then she sees the fond look in Merlin’s eyes every time he glances in Arthur’s direction, and she melts into a puddle of happiness again.

She’s even caught herself wondering if Gwen looks at _her_ like that.

-

The fondly _exasperated_ look, however, is the one which kills her. It brings her back to the time at the beginning of Merlin and Arthur’s friendship, when Morgana had first suggested that Arthur should move in with them. 

(“He makes such a mess, Morgana! I can’t live in a pig sty.”

“It’s on _my_ side of the room! You’re such a prat, Arthur, honestly. And besides, you get the window.”

In the end, Morgana had locked them in until they’d grudgingly decided they’d try to get along.)

These days, Arthur’s on the receiving end of the fondly exasperated look when he chooses the same film to watch over and over again (“ _The Sound of Music_ again?”), or when he burns dinner (but Merlin eats it anyway, while Morgana orders takeaway).

-

She’s sitting in the car, wondering when Arthur will tell her, wondering when precisely it all began. Right now, Arthur's pressing Merlin up against the door and kissing him. Their kiss is slow and it makes Morgana feel like she’s intruding. Arthur’s hand cups the back of Merlin’s head, and Merlin wraps his arms around Arthur’s shoulder, pulling him impossibly closer. When they pull apart, they’re both breathless, lips full and red.

They’re just so sweet together; Morgana wants to hear about all their awkward dates, the nose-bumping kisses, and exactly how deep these feelings run. She has a vague idea though. Judging from the way Arthur looks at Merlin - like his smile is as bright as the damn sun - and Merlin at Arthur - like he’d travel to the ends of the earth for him - these two are in it for the long haul.

Morgana sighs. Arthur will tell her when he's ready.  



End file.
